22 April 2013

Article Published on Mosquitos in DC & Baltimore

Paper by Dr. Shannon LaDeau, BES Co-PI, and colleagues was recently published in the International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health. Below is a brief summary of the work.

Mosquito-vectored pathogens
are (re)emerging in many urban environments, reinvigorating research efforts to
understand patterns of urban infestations derived from complex
interactions between ecological and social factors that define where mosquito populations
can grow.In this
study we compared the density of mosquito habitat and pupae production across
economically varying neighborhoods Baltimore, MD and Washington, DC. We recorded seven species capable of
transmitting human pathogens, including the invasive Aedes albopictus, which was the only species found in all
neighborhoods. Culex pipiens, a primary vector of West Nile virus (WNV), was predominantly
found in Baltimore and was most abundant in abandoned tires. Both Culex and Aedes pupae (our best indicator of biting adults) were more likely
to be sampled in neighborhoods categorized as below city-specific median income
level. The abundance of Aedes pupae was also greater in
container habitats in lower income neighborhoods. We infer that lower income residents may experience greater exposure to
potential disease vectors and Baltimore residents specifically, were at greater
risk of exposure to the predominant WNV vector.However, we also found that
resident-reported mosquito nuisance was not correlated with our measured risk
index, indicating a potentially important mismatch between motivation needed to
engage participation in control efforts and the relative importance of control
among neighborhoods.